Our first stay on site at POP! PTR...

[daisy hughes]

I am new at this, but I have read so many reports and enjoyed them so much that I decided to start my PTR today and have fun, too!

Here are the cast members:

DH: My husband of 4 years. We have been to DW 2 times together, and this will be our first time staying on site. An aside...DH does not do heat or crowds well, so I am hoping that September will not prove to be a bad choice in timing. Birnbaum says it is one of the least crowded times to go, but the avg temp is 90! But we couldn't pass up the deal...FREE DINING!!

Me: Disney lover since day one. I love to plan and I obsess over it, much to DH's chagrin. Our last trip was in Dec. 2005 and, I hate to say it, but I almost planned myself out of future Disney trips. DH likes to fly by the seat of his Soarin' pants. So, this time, I am secretly planning the trip, and if we do not go by the plan, that's fine ( I keep telling myself that). At least it gives me my planning fix..gotta have it! DH did agree to making ADR's and here they are:

Sunday, Sept 16: Cinderella's Castle for breakfast! I get chills when I think about this. Never been there...last time could not get in. This time told the lady on the phone to give me whatever she could.

Monday: 50's Prime Time Cafe...DH's FAVORITE. I love it too.

Tuesday: Le Cellier at 8:40...seems I was lucky to get this by what I have read on the boards.

Wednesday: O'hana at 5:30

That's it so far...well, not really! Remember the secret plan? I am considering doing California Grill one night when MK has Wishes going on. How romantic that would be!

This PTR is fun! I can share all of my Disney planning on here and DH will never know! I wish you could see my grid of planning that I have done. It is a makeshift grid that has all the park hours and showtimes, and as well as my favorite CS and snack places to visit in each park. I had a moment of weakness and showed DH this, and I thought he would back out of the trip! No, it wasn't that bad, in fact, he asked if his faves were on there, too! But, to be on the safe side, I don't think I will let him see that again.

Here are the Trip dates:
September 14-21...staying at Pop Century, which, according to the DISers, (am I spelling that right? Sorry if I didn't) is a great choice. DH told me that if Disney continues to offer the FDP every September, then we can go back. Secret plan is to check out the moderate resorts this time around and book one of those for next year.

I have more to come, but right now I have got to get to work! Thanks for reading...

 

[gcrw11]

Sounds great so far. Keep it coming.

 

[twob4him]

I am new at this, but I have read so many reports and enjoyed them so much that I decided to start my PTR today and have fun, too!

Here are the cast members:

DH: My husband of 4 years. We have been to DW 2 times together, and this will be our first time staying on site. An aside...DH does not do heat or crowds well, so I am hoping that September will not prove to be a bad choice in timing. Birnbaum says it is one of the least crowded times to go, but the avg temp is 90! But we couldn't pass up the deal...FREE DINING!!

Me: Disney lover since day one. I love to plan and I obsess over it, much to DH's chagrin. Our last trip was in Dec. 2005 and, I hate to say it, but I almost planned myself out of future Disney trips. DH likes to fly by the seat of his Soarin' pants. So, this time, I am secretly planning the trip, and if we do not go by the plan, that's fine ( I keep telling myself that). At least it gives me my planning fix..gotta have it! DH did agree to making ADR's and here they are:

Sunday, Sept 16: Cinderella's Castle for breakfast! I get chills when I think about this. Never been there...last time could not get in. This time told the lady on the phone to give me whatever she could.

Monday: 50's Prime Time Cafe...DH's FAVORITE. I love it too.

Tuesday: Le Cellier at 8:40...seems I was lucky to get this by what I have read on the boards.

Wednesday: O'hana at 5:30

That's it so far...well, not really! Remember the secret plan? I am considering doing California Grill one night when MK has Wishes going on. How romantic that would be!

This PTR is fun! I can share all of my Disney planning on here and DH will never know! I wish you could see my grid of planning that I have done. It is a makeshift grid that has all the park hours and showtimes, and as well as my favorite CS and snack places to visit in each park. I had a moment of weakness and showed DH this, and I thought he would back out of the trip! No, it wasn't that bad, in fact, he asked if his faves were on there, too! But, to be on the safe side, I don't think I will let him see that again.

Here are the Trip dates:
September 14-21...staying at Pop Century, which, according to the DISers, (am I spelling that right? Sorry if I didn't) is a great choice. DH told me that if Disney continues to offer the FDP every September, then we can go back. Secret plan is to check out the moderate resorts this time around and book one of those for next year.

I have more to come, but right now I have got to get to work! Thanks for reading...

Hi Daisy! Sounds like a great trip! Can't wait to hear more!

Sounds great so far. Keep it coming.

Hi GCRW...I just read your siggy....wow....6 trips per year....now that is impressive!

 

[gcrw11]

Thanks!
We love Mickey, can you tell?
We leave tomorrow for our next 4 day trip to Pop Century. Can't wait!

 

[daisy hughes]

Thanks grcw11 and Cathy for reading the post! Glad to have you with me!! This is fun!!

I thought I would post our departure day plans. (My husband is very excited about this...we are eating at Paula Deen's!)

Here are the plans...

Wake up at 5, say goodbye to kitty Martie (wish she could go with us), leave at 6:30 am and drive 4.5 hours to Savannah. Get in line to eat at The Lady and Sons for lunch. My DH had no problem planning this part of the trip. He loves this place, as do I. The fried chicken is SOOOOO good! OH! DH even said the other day that we might need to plan going to 50's Prime Time on Monday or Tuesday since he loves the fried chicken there as well and didn't want the restaurants to be back to back. I think he may be more of a planner than what he thinks! But I will let him come to that conclusion on his own! Back to the schedule:
Leave Savannah around 1:30 and drive to POP...I think we should get there around 6:30 or so. We will check in, get settled, and head over to Epcot where they have the evening magic hours. We will get FP for Soarin' (I'm not sure about this ride) and eat our first CS meal at the Cantina in Mexico. About Soarin'... I am the type of person who does not like thrill rides. I am prone to motion sickness and I just don't like the feeling of having my stomach in my mouth. I would love to ride Soarin', but I must admit, I am afraid to. In fact, I dreamt about it last night! In my dream I loved it, though. So, for those of you who have been on the ride, can you tell me what to expect? I have been told that it is not a thrill ride and that if you get a little queasy you can close your eyes and your fine. Is that true??
For now I am going to leave it on the schedule.

Waiting to hear your thoughts on it....

 

[gcrw11]

About Soarin, you won't get a FP is you get there that late. They run out in the morning every day usually. It's that good. You are right about closing your eyes and you will be fine. The ride is like being on a glider and flying over California. You also smell things, like orange groves, the ocean and other stuff. I feel it's must see. Worth the wait in line, they have trivia questions in line to keep you entertained. Tell the CM your fears, I think there is a spot for someone that doesn't want to go up on the ride, I might be wrong because we all ride all of the rides so never had to actually look into it. We are going tomorrow and will be back on Sunday. I'll ask while I'm there and let you know next week.
I'll have a frozen raspberry lemonade by the teacups at MK for you also, lol.

 

[daisy hughes]

OH MY GOODNESS gcrw11!! That is AWESOME!!! I know you will have so much fun! Thanks for asking about the ride for me...I appreciate that very much! I will be looking for your post.

And enjoy the raspberry lemonade for me!! That just makes me very happy!!!!

Have a wonderful time!!!

 

[daisy hughes]

I just got through looking over the pics of food people have posted on the other thread, and I maybe more excited over the food than anything else! It all looks so yummy!

Last night I was working on our plans and I found this wonderful website that streams Disney theme park and audio music...it was the greatest thing planning and listening to the site. It is www.subsonicradio.com. I love it! I am listening to 'Yo Ho Ho It's a Pirates Life for Me' right now.

OK, here are the plans...

9/14--Check in at POP, unpack and head to Epcot. Grab a counter service and stake out a place to watch Illuminations. We hope to eat at Cantina de San Angel. Or we may head to Downtown Disney...it just depends on how we feel after the trip

9/15--Animal Kingdom. My husband can't wait to ride EE!
9/15--Magic Kingdom in the evening. First thing is to get in line for Peter Pan's Flight, my all time favorite ride. After that we have ADR's for Tony's...I have requested at porch seat to watch Spectromagic.

9/16--Magic Kingdom...we have ADR's for Cinderella's Castle for breakfast. This will be a first for both of us and we are very excited!
9/16--Disney MGM...ADR's for 50's Prime Time for supper, then over to see Fantasmic.

9/17--Blizzard Beach
9/17--I want to tour some of the resorts, so we plan to take the bus over to Boardwalk and walk to Epoct.

9/18--Islands of Adventure...I am doing this for my husband. My heart will be at Disney.
9/18--ADR's at Le Cellier at 8:30pm

9/19--Epcot--I am trying to get ADR's for Coral Reef for lunch. Have not been successful as of yet.
9/19--we have ADR's for O'hana's at 5:30, so we plan to take the bus to the GF and take the boat over to Poly. We will watch the fireworks and Electric Water Parade from the Poly.

9/20--I have left this morning open. I know there are things we will want to do again, so this is when we will do that.
9/20--ADR's at California Grill for supper at 9:20, but we will be there early to watch Wishes from the deck

9/21--Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

I have scheduled afternoon down time just in case we (more like my husband) needs it. We are staying on property for the first time ever and I can't wait!

Thanks for reading and will write more as the departure day approaches!

 

[daisy hughes]

There are about 30 people from my church going in September, and we decided to get together and have a planning party. It was the MOST fun ever! Almost as fun as being at Disney...almost! Here's a little taste of what we did...

We went to allearsnet and got recipes and fixed...

Strawberry Soup (1900 Park Fare)
Peanut Butter Playdough (Coral Reef)
Figaro Fries (Pinnochio's Village)
Blueberry Buckle (Cinderella's)
Maple Chicken Wings (FOrt Wilderness)
Ghiredelli's Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Twinkie Tarimisu (POP)

We ate, shared tips and planning strategies, and played games. It was such a fun way to get us all excited (like we needed it) for our trips in September!

 

[jordanyosh]

Nice reading your trip report from the WC (West Coast). On your itinerary you said you would be taking a bus over to the Boardwalk. Just so you know there is no bus that will take you from Pop to the Boardwalk. I stayed at Pop in June and to go to the Boardwalk, you can take the bus to MGM. When you are walking to the front entrance to MGM on the right side you will see a boat launch. This is a ferry boat that will take you to the Boardwalk, Swan/dolphin and the Yacht/Beach Club. It's final destination is Epcot.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask.....

Are you going to meet up w/ anyone from your church while you are there?

Jordan ( a fellow church goer)

 

[daisy hughes]

Nice reading your trip report from the WC (West Coast). On your itinerary you said you would be taking a bus over to the Boardwalk. Just so you know there is no bus that will take you from Pop to the Boardwalk. I stayed at Pop in June and to go to the Boardwalk, you can take the bus to MGM. When you are walking to the front entrance to MGM on the right side you will see a boat launch. This is a ferry boat that will take you to the Boardwalk, Swan/dolphin and the Yacht/Beach Club. It's final destination is Epcot.

Hey Jordan...Thanks for the tip! So, we would need to take a bus to MGM and then the boat. That sounds like a plan! Thanks again!! Did you see anything else that looked like it wouldn't work? This is our first time staying on property, and there is so much we do not know.

And yes, there are 2 families that will be there when we are, so we are doing several things together...the Halloween Party, and Magic K on SUnday. The planning party was so much fun! Our pastor was there with his mickey shirt on, too! It was GREAT!

Thanks again for the tip! Any other tips you can share will be greatly appreciated!

 

[becky_AK]

Hi Daisy~
Your planning party sounds like so much fun. I might steal the idea & see if I can convince my family to do one this next week. We leave on 9/22 and are staying at Pop.

I hope you have a great trip & I'll stop back by to see how all the planning is going & follow your trip report as well.

Take care~
Becky

 

[jordanyosh]

Daisy,

We've (my cousin and her brood) have been to WDW in September several times (6x, I think). In your planning, you may want to think about alternative plans if it decides it's going to rain all day, especially if it happens on your AK day. Always be prepared for rain, I was there in June and we forgot our ponchos one day and well....see my pre-trip report for some photos.

IF, and that's a big IF, you happen to get a tropical storm/hurricane that passes through, they may confine you to your resort. In your case, at POP you would be confined to your room since POP doesn't have interior hallways and isn't connected to the main building. Be prepared w/ snacks and drinks before there's any official warning. Once a warning goes up, the grab n go section at POP will get cleaned out quickly.

Your dining plans look pretty good. If you get lunch ressies at Coral Reef, would that be out of pocket because w/o that meal you stand at 8 TS meal credits a piece.? Both Cindy's breakfast and CA Grill will cost you 2 credits each as they are signature dining experiences.

In Him,

Jordy

 

[daisy hughes]

Hi Daisy~
Your planning party sounds like so much fun. I might steal the idea & see if I can convince my family to do one this next week. We leave on 9/22 and are staying at Pop.

I hope you have a great trip & I'll stop back by to see how all the planning is going & follow your trip report as well.

Take care~
Becky

Thanks Becky! It was truly a magical evening... so much so that we are planning a post-disney party to discuss our trip when we get back. I think your family will love it. Let me know how it goes if you get to do it. Thanks for reading...this is so much fun!

 

[daisy hughes]

Daisy,


IF, and that's a big IF, you happen to get a tropical storm/hurricane that passes through, they may confine you to your resort. In your case, at POP you would be confined to your room since POP doesn't have interior hallways and isn't connected to the main building. Be prepared w/ snacks and drinks before there's any official warning. Once a warning goes up, the grab n go section at POP will get cleaned out quickly.

Your dining plans look pretty good. If you get lunch ressies at Coral Reef, would that be out of pocket because w/o that meal you stand at 8 TS meal credits a piece.? Both Cindy's breakfast and CA Grill will cost you 2 credits each as they are signature dining experiences.

In Him,

Jordy

Great tips Jordy! Concerning Coral Reef...I was told by past Disney guests that were on the dining plan that we could share our food at non-buffet restaurants. We were planning to share at CG, and possibly Le Cellier. What are your thoughts on that?

One more thing, Jordy...I think you may appreciate this...There is a lady in our church who has been battling stage 4 breast cancer for the last year. They discovered Chris had cancer when she was pregnant and immediately started chemo once the baby was born. She has 5 other kids, so you can imagine the stress this family has been under, not to mention that her mother died of breast cancer. Well, one of the couples in our church that is also going to Disney in September decided to hold a fund raiser to pay for a trip for Chris and her family to go to Disney. The money was raised, and they will be going the week after we are there. But this is the real exciting news...we have been praying for her nonstop since we found she had cancer and last week the doctor told her she is cancer free and in remission. What a blessing! She was at the planning party--she has not been to Disney since she was 5--and she was so thankful for the trip and for her great news from the doctor. Hearing her get so excited about her trip and knowing that she did not have the cancer threat to worry about any longer was just wonderful. Thank the Good Lord for answering prayer!

 

[daisy hughes]

Daisy,

Always be prepared for rain, I was there in June and we forgot our ponchos one day and well....see my pre-trip report for some photos.

********************************************************


Hey Jordy...where can I find your pre-trip report? Thanks!

 

[jordanyosh]

Daisy,

The title is "Can a pre trip report be therapeutic? I hope so.

You'll see several pics of me and my family and church family as well.

I loved your story about Chris. I will be praying for her and her family. I must admit I got a bit misty eyed reading about God's goodness.

Be talking to you soon, I'm sure.

Jordan (Jordy to friends and family and you're family )

 

[daisy hughes]

Daisy,

The title is "Can a pre trip report be therapeutic? I hope so.

You'll see several pics of me and my family and church family as well.

I loved your story about Chris. I will be praying for her and her family. I must admit I got a bit misty eyed reading about God's goodness.

Be talking to you soon, I'm sure.

Jordan (Jordy to friends and family and you're family )

Jordy...I will check out your report right after church! How great it is to share God's goodness and meet new family on the DIS board! Thank you for continuing to pray for Chris. She is a sweatheart.

Have a wonderful Sunday...

Daisy

 

[jordanyosh]

Jordy...I will check out your report right after church! How great it is to share God's goodness and meet new family on the DIS board! Thank you for continuing to pray for Chris. She is a sweatheart.

Have a wonderful Sunday...

Daisy

We get to share 2 great things, one hopefully greater than the other

I played hooky today from church; I woke up w/ a bit of a sore throat. Don't think my senior pastor will appreciate that.

 

[jordanyosh]

I got some more feedback on Mandara Spa from another Dis person. She liked the Mandara more than the SSR spa. The SSR spa was less themed and more generic while the Mandara spa had a very exotic feel. Just an FYI